The Great Gray Owl is a very remarkable member of the owl family. In size, this bird can be compared with a chicken.
Appearance
The body measures 60 to 85 centimeters in length and has a wingspan of 1.5 meters. The weight of these representatives can be up to 1.2 kilograms. The facial disc is pronounced and gray-colored with a large number of dark concentric circles. On the head are small yellow eyes with dark eyelids. The white feathers near the eyes form a cross. The base of the beak is yellow with a gray tint, and the beak itself is yellow. There is a dark spot under the beak. The main color of the Great Gray Owl is gray with small black stripes. The lower part of the body is pale gray with streaks. The plumage on the paws and toes is gray. The long tail of an owl is colored with large transverse stripes that end in a rather large dark stripe. Sexual dimorphism lies in the fact that females are much more massive and larger than males.
Habitat
The habitat of the Great Gray Owl has spread across Canada and Alaska. Most of the populations are located in the north of Europe and the center of the European side of Russia. Some representatives are found in Siberia and Sakhalin.
The owl chooses coniferous and spruce forests as a habitat, and can inhabit the territory of taiga and mountain forests. The choice of habitat is due to the availability of sufficient food.
Nutrition
The main diet of the Great Gray Owl consists of murine rodents, shrews and small mammals. Sometimes squirrels, small birds, hares, frogs and some large insects can be hunted as large prey. An owl can look for prey from a perch or during a slow flight, not exceeding 5 meters above the ground. It feeds mainly in open areas. During the nesting period, Great Gray Owls prefer to hunt in the daytime at the edges of the forest and clearings. An excellent predator for this owl is made by a developed hearing and a facial disc, which allows you to hear the subtle rustles of a potential prey. The great gray owl seizes its prey with sharp claws and eats it whole.
Lifestyle
Most of the Great Gray Owl species are exclusively sedentary birds. They choose their habitat carefully and live in it for several years. The Great Gray Owl can change its territory due to the insufficient number of mammals that it feeds on.
A distinctive feature of the bearded owl is their voice. Males emit humming dull sounds of 8 or 12 syllables, similar to “uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu.”
Reproduction
Most of the Great Owl are monogamous. The breeding season is accompanied by mating and courtship. This period lasts from winter. Males begin to search harder for food for the female, clean feathers and actively search for nests. As a nest, many males choose old hawk settlements. The female lays up to 5 eggs in the chosen nest, and incubates them for 28 days. During this period, the male obtains food for two. Chicks become formed at 4 weeks, and ready for flight by 8 weeks of life.
Great gray owl with chick
Great gray owl – video
